Who is Mohammad Mokhber, Iran's interim president after Ebrahim Raisi's death?

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, along with the country's foreign minister and several others, were confirmed dead on Monday after their helicopter crashed into mountainous area in Iran's northwest, according to state media.

In Iran, if the president passes away during their term, Article 131 of the Constitution dictates that the first vice president assumes temporary presidency, subject to confirmation by the supreme leader.

Mohammad Mokhber was the first vice president of Iran. He assumed the position of Iran's new president as supreme leader Ali Khamenei confirming this transition of power

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Who will be the next president in Iran?

• Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed as new Iran president, but for temporary basis.

• A council comprising the first vice president, the parliament speaker, and the judiciary head must organise a new presidential election within a maximum period of 50 days.

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Who is Mohammad Mokhber?

• Mohammad Mokhber is part of a council alongside the speaker of Parliament and the head of the judiciary. Together, they are tasked with organising a new presidential election within 50 days of the president's demise.

• Born on September 1, 1955, Mokhber shares a close relationship with supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in Iranian affairs. Mokhber assumed the role of first vice president in 2021, following Raisi's presidency.

• Mokhber was involved in negotiations with Moscow in October, facilitating agreements to provide surface-to-surface missiles and drones to Russia's military. This delegation included officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the Supreme National Security Council.

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• Previously, Mokhber headed Setad, an investment fund linked to the supreme leader, and was subject to EU sanctions in 2010 for alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities. He was later removed from the list in 2012.

•In 2013, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Setad and its associated companies. Established under an order by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Setad manages properties abandoned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with proceeds directed towards charitable causes.

(Inputs from Reuters)